SETTING OUT PRIVET CUTTINGS 129 



climbed the fence. "Box is what you ought to 

 have,, but I could n't get that, so Mr. Trommel 

 showed me how to make these. He says it will do 

 this summer, but that next year it will be a hedge 

 and not a border." 



"They are cunning little things," said her fellow- 

 gardener, admiringly, holding up one of the "green- 

 leaved babies." 



"Don't touch the roots, Randolph Finnan Haddie," 

 warned the under-gardener, quickly. "They don't 

 mind having their heads mussed a little, but we 

 have to be very careful about the feet." 



Mary's small brown fingers busied themselves a 

 moment with the piled-up cuttings. "There !" she 

 said, holding a thick bunch of the little privets be- 

 tween her hands. "Now dig a hole for me, please, 

 Haddie, over there," and she nodded toward an 

 unoccupied bit of flower-bed, "big enough for these 

 bunched up so." 



The boy did as he was bid. 



"Now we put them in, so, and cover the earth 

 over the roots, and then they will be quite comfor- 

 table while we plant the others." 



"What do you do that for?" 



"We don't have to, but the roots like to be in the 



9 



